Gov. Bobby Jindal's fight against Common Core academic standards is getting a well-deserved pummeling in court. Baton Rouge District Judge Todd Hernandez ruled Tuesday that the governor's executive order forbidding Louisiana's Department of Education to buy new student tests was not only improper, but also harmful to families and schools.

The judge ordered the Jindal administration to allow the testing contract to be used. The contract "was intended by all to be used in implementation of the legal requirement for nationally recognized assessment testing in Louisiana," he said in his ruling.

There was never any problem with the way the Department of Education planned to purchase the new tests, which will allow Louisiana students to be compared with children in other states. Gov. Jindal is just so intent on stopping Common Core testing that he was willing to interfere with the purchasing process to do so.

In his ruling, Judge Hernandez said the Jindal administration produced no evidence to show it had a legitimate reason to suspend the testing contract. The judge also pointed out that the governor's office was part of the discussion about the development of the new test questions and the choice of contractor going back to 2010.

Judge Hernandez said the delay caused by the governor's improper meddling had harmed schools and students, particularly fourth-graders who will have to pass a high-stakes test to be promoted to fifth grade.

"The loss of time is irreparable," the judge said. "With each passing day teachers and parents lose time preparing students for high stakes testing, and there is a lot riding on the student's successful performance of these tests."

That's quite an indictment.

The governor's chief of staff was dismissive about the impact on students. Education officials "are creating hysteria about one test that is several months away," he said in a written statement.

On the contrary, it is the governor who is creating hysteria by claiming that Common Core is a plot by the federal government to control the minds of Louisiana students.

It may be months before students will take these new tests, but the school year has begun -- and teachers, parents and children need to know which test and what type of questions will be used.

Courtney Dumas, an Ascension Parish teacher who was one of the teachers and parents who filed the lawsuit against the Jindal administration, said the governor's attempt to stop the new test was creating chaos. "I don't think it's fair to these students or to these teachers who are just completely lost," she said.

The press release issued by the governor's office in response to Judge Hernandez's ruling had the overwrought tone of a side with no valid arguments. "We want to make sure every other agency head in state government knows this judge is wrong. It's not open season on breaking the procurement law."

Open season on the procurement law? Seriously?

The governor was the one abusing the procurement law by trying to use it to get his way.

Gov. Jindal used to be a fan of the Common Core State Standards, which grew out of the National Governor's Association. He signed the memorandum of understanding in 2010 for Louisiana to take part in creating the new academic standards and a multistate test to measure student achievement. His administration even pushed in 2012 for legislation to strengthen the state's commitment to the new standards.

But as conservative groups lined up against Common Core over the past year, Gov. Jindal began to back away. He didn't persuade Louisiana lawmakers to ditch the standards during their spring session, though, and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education has held firm in its support of Common Core.

So Gov. Jindal set out to unilaterally end Louisiana's participation in Common Core.

But, as Judge Hernandez noted in his ruling, the state Constitution is clear: The Legisalture and BESE are constitutionally empowered to oversee education.

Lawmakers have required students to be tested on "nationally recognized content standards" with tests that are "comparable to national achievement tests." BESE has set policies to implement the Common Core standards.

All Mr. White and BESE are trying to do is purchase the tests to measure how well students meet those standards. Judge Hernandez's decision removed the impediment to that.

Gov. Jindal's administration says it is appealing, but that's a waste of the public's money on legal fees. The governor simply doesn't have a case.